Smile
by Lakeshine
Summary: A smile hides a thousand things, insecurity, hurt, angst, turmoil, fear. A smile has the power to hide the real you


**Disclaimer~ Young Justice and the characters from the show does not belong to me**

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**Robin**

I was the ninja, the one who always had a smug smirk plastered on my face. The youngest on the Team who had to be sheltered in the eyes of other heroes, none of them knowing the true horror and hardship I go through everyday of my life in Gotham. I was the one who pretended everything was okay, that I was fine, it was my job. I couldn't let Bruce, Alfred, The Team, The League, or even Barbara know how truly broken I was. So I put on the smile, let out that cheerful cackle, use imaginary words that few could understand, all to hide my inner pain. I did it to protect everyone else, I didn't want them to know how truly messed up I was. Sure my facade sometimes cracked, letting out a bit of who I really was but I always patch it up before anyone notices, each time the barrier weakening. I felt my energy dwindling as I fight to keep my wall, my true feelings and emotions fighting to free themselves as the day where the pain originated from becomes nearer and nearer until it arrives. I wake up on the day, look myself in the mirror, and force that smile onto my face, feeling my soul break a bit more as the familiar smirks spreads across my features before it fades unable to stay for long. Today was always the hardest. I was still holding myself together but I wondered how much longer it would be before I shattered completely and when that happened I just had to hope someone would be there to pick up the pieces. I step out of my temporary room at Mount Justice. Another day of pretending, another day closer to my breaking point. I smiled.

**Aqualad**

I was the calm headed leader of the Team. The rock of the Team who never lost his cool. No one saw under the surface though. Like the ocean, my home, I had many layers, depth that others failed to see. There was more to me than just being Aquaman's sidekick and leader of the Team. My friend under the seas had betrayed me, stealing away the girl of my dreams. My mother had lied to me about my father true identity, never telling me that he was Black Manta. I never told anyone that I knew the secret, not my King, my mother, or the man I had believed to be father all these years. I didn't tell my friends on the surface world either, secretly afraid that they would not accept me any longer. Though that was not all, I'm not sure I accepted who I thought I was anymore, I felt as if I was split. Those who were supposed to be good, the heroes, had lied to me about my lineage and those who were evil, the villains, my father, had told me the truth. Now I saw the truth in the world, it was not black and white, good and evil anymore, it was as I was all shades of gray, a little of each. Thats whay I am now, a shade of gray. I smiled.

**Kid Flash**

I was the young, carefree speedster. The one with no care in the world, entirely native when it came to those of the opposite, willing to flirt with anyone and anything that wears a skirt. The hyperactive, annoying redhead who was always stuffing his face with food, making corny jokes, unable to be serious. The one who could never be as fast as his hero. The one who aspires to be something he could never be. My Team only saw the first part of me, the one without a care in the world. Not the self doubt, insecurity, self loathing that I never could, would be fast enough. My Father only confirmed these doubts, beating me with words, I would never be The Flash, never be fast enough. All I was to him was a burden, a waste of money, space, and food though when anyone else was around he would pretend we were a happy family, threatening me to do the same. The worse thing part is that I listened, proving his point perfectly. How could I call myself a hero if I couldn't even save myself, let of of my created front I decided to show the rest of the world, but today was not that that day. I smiled.

**Superboy**

I was the clone with anger management issues. I didn't care about anyone, too rash to think before acting putting my friends in danger. Because of my near invulnerability I couldn't understand how to fight with normal people who didn't have me strength, because I was a clone, a cheap knockoff of the original. They were right I would never be Superman but truthfully I didn't want to be anymore. All I wanted was to be recognized as my own person, for who I was inside not my looks or affiliation with the famed Superman. I was tired of being confused with him, the only reason M'Gann even liked me in the first place was because of my looks not because of who I really was but because she liked how I looked. She hadn't even bothered to get to know me, instead she tried to mold me into who she wanted me to be, after her fantasy and TV character. Sure she had gotten better, appearing to care for me who I was know but I felt like a disappointment to everyone, not Superman but not normal either. Maybe I someday discover the real me but not yet, not now, for now I would continue to live a lie. I smiled.

**Miss Martian**

I was the peppy, cheerleader type girl. Everything about me revolved around looks, nothing else mattered. That's why I wanted Conner as my boyfriend, why I hide I was a White Martian. I was delusional, wanting to live in a TV show from the 1980s, molding my appearance, my life around it. What no one understood was how truly horrible White Martians were treated back on my homeworld, I never wanted to feel that way again which is why I hide my true self. I wanted to have a perfect life just like Megan from _Hello Megan,_ I wanted to be accepted in the same way to solve all my problems as easily as she could instead of being isolated because of appearance. Thats why I pretended, tried so hard, to make myself loved, accepted. I was afraid of another rejection, maybe I will one day be able to be myself, have the ability to accept myself as a white Martian but until then I would hide behind my green guise even though the others knew the truth, it was easier that way, it helped hide my inner turmoil as well. Maybe one day I could accept myself for who I was. I smiled.

**Artemis**

I was the sarcastic archer with daddy issues. My sister was on the wrong side of the law, my mom crippled due to the criminal life. I was the blonde girl who had trouble dealing with her emotions, instead hiding behind a front of hatred and sarcasm to protect myself. It was true, I was sick of being betrayed so I decided to build a cover to protect myself from the sting of it. No one was allowed in, not after my open father and Jade had ripped apart my trust. But my Team were worming their way in against my better judgement, Wally especially. But I still wasn't ready to entirely open up to any of them, to express my deepest fears. I was still afraid of the evil inside of me, the villain that ran in my blood but I couldn't let them know. Instead I pretended and hid behind my barrier. I smiled.

**Zatanna**

I was the orphan. The magician. The broken one. With my father gone I had no one left, my mother having passed on long ago. Sure the Team was great and I knew without them, Robin especially, I would not have made it through the loss of my father. Not that made it all okay, far from it it, it just made the pain bearable. I knew the pain would never entirely fade though I was now able to mask it, to hide it. My teammates seemed to accept this mask believing I had recovered from the deal, all except Robin. He acted like he could see through my disguise, as if he understood but he never said a word about it, as if knowing no words could help. Everyday was the same, I would drag myself from bed, tears soaking my face, which were promptly wiped away. I would then mutter a quick spell to dress myself and head out, preparing myself for another day full of pretending. I smiled.

**Rocket**

I was the newest member, the one no one really knows. I was the one always left out out, the others like a tight-knit family. No one really bothered to get to know the real me. They didn't know anything about me, though they was partially my own fault. I didn't really want them to know how I had grown up in near poverty, how I had been robbing Icon's house with what I had thought were my friends. I had discovered it was all a lie when they had left me there alone. Sure it had turned out just fine, I had convinced Icon to become a hero and became one myself but I still wasn't proud of my past and was I still had trouble trusting people. Maybe someday I'll tell them my story, maybe not, it all depending on whether or not I could ever truly trust again but for now... I smiled. **  
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**Team**

One Team, all so broken alone but become something powerful together. Providing comfort and support maybe one day together they would able to overcome these fears and insecurities together and become stronger because of it. Until that day arrives they all continue to hide behind various barriers and half truths. They smiled.

**I hope you all enjoyed, this was a new kind of writing style for me and I know that Superboy and Kaldur rarely smile but it does happen on occasion so. Anyway please**

**Review**

**~Lakeshine **


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